The Ottawa International Airport is using Free Space Optics (FSO) from Ottawa's Plaintree Systems Inc. to provide live direct links for PCL Construction during renovations as well as for connections from other buildings to the main terminal.
Free Space Optics sends information on an invisible beam of infrared light and is ideal for use in airports where radio frequencies are highly regulated, say company representatives. Plaintree's FSO links require no spectrum licensing and do not interfere with any communication system at the airport.
The FSO links also act as a replacement for cable or fiber.
"We needed a product to carry high volumes of data in real time between the airport network and our remote construction office," explains Dan Hudon, Ottawa Airport
Informatic, who adds that the cost of a hard wire connection was prohibitive.
"Thanks to Plaintree technology, we were able to wire the PCL Construction's site office in an afternoon. Plaintree's technology granted us the ability to affordably transmit 10 Mbits/sec, meeting the needs of our project engineers."
Plaintree's FSO links carry a Class 1 eye-safety rating from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which means they are safe for installation in a public place.
Plaintree's WAVEBRIDGE FSO system also relays live images of the Airport expansion program on the Ottawa Airport website, which can be viewed at www.ottawa-airport.ca.
For more information about Ottawa-based Plaintree Systems Inc., visit the company's Web site at www.plaintree.com.